Transcript

00:00:02

>> Rodrigo Duterte fuming after the US pulled out of an arms deal with the Philippines. The President slamming the State Department for halting the sale of assault rifles to his National Police Force.>> Look at these monkeys, the 26,000 firearms we wanted to buy, they don't want to sell.

00:00:18

Son of a

BLEEP],

e have many home made guns here. These American fools.>> Many have been wondering if and when the US will finally push back against Duterte's repeated verbal assaults. But Reuters Martin Petty reports, Washington has once again bitten its tongue.>> Again the President has launched an attack on the United States and again the United States has not taken the bait, it says his words are inexplicably at odds with the relationship the two countries have enjoyed.

00:00:47

So it seems like Washington is continuing to work with his government hoping that things will stay intact, and that maybe he'll dial down his rhetoric.>> Duterte also took the opportunity to remind the US that he could turn to Russia and China to boost his armory. But like many of the president's anti American rants, that may be easier said than done.

00:01:06

>> It might be very difficult for the Philippines to switch to using other technologies from Russia or China because US military procurements go back for decades. The military is trained in the use of US technology. So a sudden switch to unfamiliar weapons might be a bit tricky.>> US Senate aides have told Reuters that Washington effectively halted the sale after the top democrat and the foreign relations committee raised concerns over supplying guns to Duterte to arm his deadly war on drugs.

00:01:38

That's the sort of talk sparking anger from the president on an almost weekly basis since he took office. A break with the Philippines could spell trouble in Asia for the United States as Duterte cozzies up to rising power and regional rival, China.